Author pov..

School had finally ended, but Deepak's mood stayed dark the entire day.

Watching Rahul and Deeksha together had left a sour taste in his heart.

When Deeksha drove away in her car, Rahul and Deepak were left behind, waiting for the bus.

Deepak was burning with anger. His face was stiff, his silence loud.

Rahul noticed and looked at him.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you walking around with that face all day?" he asked.

Deepak snapped back, "You really don't know why I'm upset?"

Rahul shook his head. "No."

Deepak's voice turned sharp. "It's because of your friendship with Deeksha. She's coming between us. Can't you see it? I don't like her."

Rahul stared at him, surprised, then said firmly, "No one can ever come between you and me, idiot. I'll always be your best friend."

But Deepak wasn't convinced. "Still, I don't like Deeksha. Why does she have to be friends with boys? There are so many girls why can't she be friends with them instead?"

Rahul sighed, shaking his head. "You're completely crazy, Deepak. I can't make you understand."

Without saying another word, Rahul got onto the bus.Deepak followed soon after, but neither of them spoke for the rest of the ride.

The silence between them felt heavier than any argument.After a while, Deepak's stop arrived. He got down and walked away without looking back.

Rahul watched him go and muttered under his breath, "God, he's so jealous," and laughed softly to himself.

Soon, Rahul's stop came too. He stepped off the bus and headed home.

Rani's face lit up the moment she saw Rahul. A warm smile spread across her face as she said happily,

"Mera raja beta Ghar aa gya!"

Rahul gave a small "Hmm" in response.

"Go wash your hands and face," Rani said gently. "I'll serve the food."

Rahul nodded and went upstairs.

He washed up, changed out of his school uniform, and slipped into his comfortable home clothes.

When he came downstairs, his mother had already laid out the meal.

He sat down and began eating while a TV serial played softly in the background.

His eyes followed the screen absent-mindedly.

Rani walked in and called out, "Rahul."

"Yes, Mummy?" he replied.

Her tone shifted, turning serious. "Rahul, your marks are very poor. You should start coaching with Vaibhav, beta. If you keep getting such bad results, how will it work?"

The moment Rahul heard Vaibhav's name, fear crept into his eyes.

His appetite disappeared.

"No, I won't go," he said quickly. "He beats his coaching students a lot. You've seen how badly he used to scold Divya didi."

Rani sighed but tried to reassure him. "He only scolds the ones who don't study. If you study properly, why would he scold you? He won't punish you without any reason."

Rahul sat there silently, his heart pounding, the noise of the TV fading into the background as fear and helplessness slowly settled inside him.

Rahul said in a low, trembling voice, "No... I won't go to study with him. I'm scared of him."

Rani looked at him helplessly. "Then how will this work, Rahul?" she asked. "Think about your father. He'll be hurt again. You saw how angry he was and how ashamed he felt because of you."

Her voice grew heavier as she continued, "He works so hard, earns money day and night, just so you can get a good education. And if you bring home marks like these, what will happen? Tell me, Rahul."

Rahul had no answer.He lowered his head and went silent, his lips pressed together.

The weight of his mother's words settled on his chest, leaving him trapped between fear and guilt, unable to say a single word.

After thinking for a long time, Rahul finally spoke, his voice quiet but firm.

"Okay... I'll go and study with him. But you'll have to tell him not to hit me or scold me. Only then will I go."

Rani looked at him for a moment, relief softening her eyes. "Alright," she said gently. "I'll talk to him."

Then she added, trying to sound cheerful, "Come on, eat your food quickly. Get ready and leave for coaching. When your father sees that you've gone to coaching on your own, he'll be very happy."

Rahul nodded. "Hmm."

Rani walked away, but Rahul remained seated, his fear refusing to leave him.

The thought of Vaibhav still made his chest tighten.

Somehow, forcing each bite down, he finished his meal eating not because he was hungry, but because he had no other choice.

Divya returned home from college and immediately noticed something was different.

Rahul wasn't sitting in front of the TV like he usually did. A strange suspicion crossed her mind. What happened to him today?

She went straight to his room.

There, she saw Rahul stuffing his notebooks and books into his bag in a hurry.

Divya raised an eyebrow and asked teasingly, "Where are you going with all these books? Don't tell me you're running away from home now?"

Rahul looked at her sharply. "Are you crazy? Do you really think I have nothing better to do than run away from home?"

"Then where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm going to coaching," Rahul replied quietly. "To study with Vaibhav bhaiya."

The moment she heard that name, Divya froze.

Her eyes widened in shock and then she burst out laughing."You? Coaching? With Vaibhav?" she said between laughs. "Go on, go on... you're walking straight into the jaws of death."

Rahul shot her an angry look.

Divya kept laughing and said, "Now it's my turn to laugh. When Vaibhav used to scold me, you were so happy, remember? Now I'll be the happy one."

Her laughter echoed in the room, while Rahul stood there silently, his fear mixed with irritation knowing very well that this time, the joke was on him.

Anger rushed through Rahul. Unable to control himself, he shouted and called out to his mother,"Mummy! Look at her Didi is teasing me!"

Rani heard his voice and came in immediately. In a sharp, angry tone she said,"Divya, don't trouble him. He agreed to go to coaching with so much difficulty, and you're still bothering him. Go away from here."

Divya only laughed in response and walked out of the room, her laughter trailing behind her.

Rahul watched her leave, his fists clenched. The anger inside him burned even stronger, his heart pounding not just with fear of what was coming, but with frustration at being mocked when he was already struggling so much.

Come on, Rahul," Rani said gently.

Rahul followed his mother to Vaibhav's house.

Vaibhav had just returned from college and was eating his lunch. Malini noticed Rani and

Rahul at the door and smiled warmly.

"Oh, how come you're here today?" she asked with a laugh.

Rani replied, "Rahul has come to study with Vaibhav. He wants to join coaching."

Rahul stood there quietly, unsure of where to place himself.

Vaibhav glanced at him and immediately noticed how scared and nervous he looked.

Malini smiled again. "That's a very good thing. Vaibhav, eat quickly and then start teaching your new student."

"Yes, Maa," Vaibhav replied.

While Malini and Rani began talking to each other, Rahul remained standing, stiff and silent.

Vaibhav noticed and said gently, "Go sit down and take out your books and notebooks."

Rahul nodded and quietly moved to the table, pulling out his copies and books.

Just then, Ishani walked in. The moment she saw Rahul, she smiled at him. Rahul felt his ears turn pink, his heart suddenly beating faster. He lowered his eyes, embarrassed.

Ishani went to eat and casually said, "Bhai, today I'm going to watch the Ganga Aarti with Divya."

Vaibhav, Malini, and Rani all looked at her. Rani said in surprise, "Divya is going? She didn't tell me."

Ishani panicked slightly. "Aunty, you can ask Divya. She told me, so I came to take permission from Bhai and Maa."

Rani's expression turned serious. "But beta, going out alone at night isn't safe. Especially after those Thakurs have threatened us. You both should not go alone. If you want to go, go with Divya's father or with Vaibhav."

Ishani nodded, her excitement fading. "Okay, Aunty. We won't go."

Rani softened her tone. "Don't be sad, beta. We're saying this for your own good."

Ishani nodded again and started eating quietly.

After finishing his food, Vaibhav got up to leave.

Rani stopped him."Vaibhav."

"Yes, Aunty?"Vaibhav said

"Rahul is a little scared of you. You know that. For a few days, don't scold him or hit him... otherwise he'll stop coming to study."Rani said

Vaibhav nodded. "Alright, Aunty."

He then walked over to Rahul.

Vaibhav walked over to Rahul and spoke in a calm, measured tone.

"Rahul, your marks in Maths were low, weren't they?"

Rahul nodded quietly, his eyes lowered.

"Alright," Vaibhav said. "We'll start with Maths first. Science can come later, okay?"

Rahul nodded again.He slowly took out his Maths book and notebook, placing them carefully on the table.

Vaibhav opened the book from the very beginning and began explaining the concepts step by step.

As Vaibhav taught, Rahul listened with full attention. The fear inside him slowly began to ease.

"Now you try," Vaibhav said, sliding the notebook back.

Rahul hesitated. His pen hovered over

the page.

"You won't be scolded," Vaibhav added quietly. "Even if it's wrong."

That sentence loosened something inside Rahul.He started solving the question. It wasn't perfect, but it was honest. When he finished, he slowly pushed the notebook forward again, bracing himself.

Vaibhav checked it and nodded. "Good. You understood the concept."

Rahul's chest is filled with something warm. Relief. Maybe pride.

From the other room, Ishani glanced toward them. She saw Rahul sitting straighter now, his fear slowly melting away. A small smile touched her lips.

When Vaibhav noticed that Rahul was understanding the concepts clearly and wasn't making any mistakes, a quiet happiness spread across his face.

Encouraged, he suddenly asked, almost casually,"Rahul... why are you so scared of me? I've never scolded you or hit you, have I?"

Rahul looked up at him. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke softly,

"But sir... you used to scold Divya didi when she couldn't understand Maths."

Vaibhav listened carefully. He looked at Rahul and then smiled faintly.

"You and your sister are very different, Rahul. Your sister is a storm. She needs scolding if I don't scold her, she'll climb onto my head and start dancing there."

Hearing this, Rahul burst into laughter.But behind them, Divya had been standing quietly. She had heard every single word.

Anger flashed in her eyes. She walked straight up to Vaibhav and snapped,

"When did I ever do anything to you? Tell me! I never do anything wrong. I always stay calm, I study properly yet you always criticize me every time. You're always scolding me!"

Her voice trembled with frustration.

"Say something now! Why are you silent all of a sudden? You never have a problem insulting me in front of everyone. But now it's like you've zipped your mouth shut. Why would I climb on your head and dance, huh?"

Just then, Malini stepped in."Divya, beta, calm down," she said firmly.

Divya heard her, paused, and slowly looked at Malini... then at Ishani... then at Rahul... and finally at Vaibhav-who was staring at her, his eyes filled with anger.

The room fell silent.

Vaibhav said firmly, "This is exactly why you need to be scolded. You speak without thinking."

Divya fell silent. She stood there, her anger slowly settling into quiet frustration.

Malini stepped in gently. "Alright, it's okay," she said, then turned to Divya. "By the way, beta, what happened? Have you come to meet Ishani?"

Divya shook her head. "No, Aunty. We were actually going to watch the Ganga Aarti."

Malini looked surprised. "But your mother had refused earlier."

Divya replied calmly, "I asked her again, Aunty. She agreed this time. I also asked Papa he said yes."

Malini's face lit up with happiness. "Oh, that's good news. Then go on. Ishani, get ready and make sure you come back early."

"Okay, Maa," Ishani replied.

Divya and Ishani then walked toward Ishani's room together, leaving the tension behind them at least for the moment.

After some time, Ishani and Divya stepped out of Ishani's room, ready to leave.

Vaibhav's gaze instantly went to Divya.

She looked beautiful effortlessly so but the anger sitting on her face dulled that beauty. It was clear she was still upset.

Vaibhav couldn't help himself. A soft, almost teasing smile curved on his lips as he looked at her.

"Okay, Maa, I'm leaving now," Ishani said. "Bhaiya, I'm going."

"Wait," Vaibhav stopped her.

He slipped his hand into his pocket, pulled out some money, and held it

out to her.

"Bhaiya, what's this for?" Ishani asked.

"Take it anyway," he said calmly.

After a brief pause, Ishani took the money.

Divya stood there watching but she deliberately avoided Vaibhav's eyes.

Her silence spoke louder than words, her anger still simmering beneath the calm.

Divya and Ishani climbed into the auto-rickshaw, the sound of the engine blending with the noise of the road.

As the city moved past them, Ishani glanced at Divya, a quiet curiosity in her eyes.

“Where are we going?” she asked softly.

“To a restaurant,” Divya replied, her voice was steady. “Virendra is waiting there for us.”

“Oh…” Ishani murmured, absorbing the words.

There was a brief silence before Divya spoke again, this time hesitantly, as if the truth weighed heavily on her chest.“I lied to Mom and Dad. I told them I was going with Vaibhav. That’s the only reason they let me leave.”

Ishani turned to her sharply, shock flickering across her face. “You lied to Uncle and Aunty?”

Divya looked away, staring out of the moving auto.

She lifted her shoulders in a small, helpless shrug.“What choice did I have? They wouldn’t have let me go otherwise. I really wanted to meet him… so I used Vaibhav’s name.”

“Are you out of your mind, Divya?” Ishani said, worry lacing her voice. “If they ever find out—”

“They won’t,” Divya interrupted quickly, almost desperately. “We’ll be home before they even doubt anything.”

Ishani let out a slow breath, shaking her head. “You’re completely crazy.” After a pause, she added, more gently,

“Drop me at the Ganga Aarti ghat. You go meet Virendra bhaiya.”

Divya’s eyes widened. “What? No. Why would you stay behind? How will I go alone?”

“Because you’re going on a date,” Ishani replied, a soft smile touching her lips despite the ache in her heart.

“A date is between two people. I’ll just be standing there like an awkward shadow.”

She continued quietly, “When your date ends, call me. I’ll wait at the ghat till then.”

Divya’s expression tightened with concern. “You’ll really stay there alone? Won’t you be scared?”

Ishani looked ahead, her gaze calm and steady. “The ghat will be full of people. I’ve been alone many times before.”

She turned to Divya and smiled faintly. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Divya stayed silent for a moment, torn between fear and gratitude. Finally, she nodded.“Okay… but please take care of yourself.”

“You too,” Ishani replied softly. “And don’t take too long.”

Divya reached out and squeezed her hand gently. “I’ll come back quickly.”

On the other side of the room, Deeksha arrived at the coaching class.

The moment her eyes fell on Rahul, she froze in shock, her steps faltering for a second.

“Sit down, Deeksha,” Vaibhav said firmly. “Take out your books and notebook.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied obediently.

As she settled into her seat, she couldn’t stop herself from turning back. Her eyes searched for Rahul’s face.“Rahul… you came here to study?” she asked, still surprised. “How did you manage? I thought you were scared.”

Rahul gave a small, awkward smile. “My mother told me to go and study, so I had to come.”

Deeksha’s expression softened. “So… you’re not scared of Vaibhav sir anymore?”

“No,” Rahul said quietly. “He didn’t scold me.”

A smile instantly spread across Deeksha’s face. “See? I told you. He never scolds.”

“Hm,” Rahul replied, nodding.

“I’m really happy,” Deeksha said, her voice full of excitement. “Now you’ll study at the coaching with me.”

“Yes,” Rahul said softly. “I will.”

Just then, Vaibhav’s sharp voice cut through the air. “Deeksha, you didn’t come here to talk. Take out your book and notebook.”

Both Rahul and Deeksha went stiff at once.Deeksha quickly opened her bag and pulled out her copies.

Vaibhav began explaining the lesson, his voice calm but authoritative.

After a while, Vaibhav glanced around the classroom and noticed an empty seat again. Deepak still hadn’t come.

Turning to Rahul, he asked, “Rahul, did Deepak come to school today?”

“Yes, sir,” Rahul replied.

“Then why hasn’t he been coming to coaching for a week now?” Vaibhav asked, frowning.

“I don’t know, sir,” Rahul said honestly.

Without wasting another second, Vaibhav picked up his phone and called Deepak’s mother. She answered immediately.

“Aunty,” Vaibhav said, concerned in his voice, “Deepak hasn’t been coming to coaching. Where is he?”

There was a pause on the other end.

Then his mother replied, confused,

“He isn’t coming? What do you mean, beta? He comes home from school, changes his clothes, and leaves for coaching without even eating or drinking anything. He tells me you give extra classes.”

As Vaibhav listened, shock washed over his face. Why would Deepak lie to his own mother? he wondered.

“Hello? Hello?” his mother’s anxious voice came through the phone.

“Yes, aunty… yes,” Vaibhav said quickly, masking his shock. “Deepak did come today. Don’t worry. He was at Rahul’s house.”

It was a lie but a gentle one.

“Oh,” Deepak’s mother sighed in relief. “Okay, beta.”

Vaibhav ended the call slowly, his expression troubled, his mind heavy with questions.Vaibhav couldn’t understand any of it. Deepak’s absence, his lies, his mother’s words they tangled together in his mind, refusing to make sense.

A quiet decision formed inside him: after coaching ends today, I’ll go to Deepak’s house myself. He needed answers.He needed to see the boy and ask him where he had really been going.

For now, Vaibhav turned back to the class and continued teaching. His voice stayed steady, his explanations clear but his heart wasn’t.

Somewhere between the lines of the lesson, worry kept creeping in. No matter how hard he tried to focus, his thoughts kept drifting back to Deepak.

On the other side of the city, Divya dropped Ishani near the ghat and left.

Ishani walked ahead alone.

The Ganga Aarti hadn’t begun yet, but the ghat was already overflowing with people.

It felt as if all of India had gathered in Banaras that evening voices, footsteps, lights, prayers blending into one restless current.

After some searching, Ishani found a place where the aarti would be visible.She stood quietly, waiting.

When the aarti finally began, something inside her softened.

The sound of the bells, the chanting of the mantras, the glow of countless lamps floating on the river is all wrapped around her like a gentle embrace.

For the first time in a while, her racing thoughts slowed. Peace settled into her chest.

Even after the aarti ended, Ishani stayed back. She sat there, unmoving, unwilling to break the calm she had found. The ghat felt safe. Still. Healing.

Then she felt it.

A gaze.

She looked up slightly and noticed two or three boys standing a little distance away, whispering while staring straight at her.

“Isn’t she the one who sent Raj bhaiya to jail?” one of them said.

“Yes,” another replied with certainty. “That’s her.”

The first boy’s lips curled into a cruel smile.

“Come on. Let’s teach her a lesson. How could she send Raj bhaiya to jail and think she can just sit here peacefully?”They started walking toward her.

Ishani was still lost in her thoughts when a voice cut through the air.

“Well, jaaneman,” one of them said mockingly, “you’re alone today. Where’s that friend of yours?”

Her heart skipped.Fear rose instantly, sharp and sudden. Before she could react, they surrounded her, closing in from all sides.

Their presence felt suffocating. They stepped too close, laughed too loudly, their intentions clear enough to terrify her.

Panic flooded her body.Her hands trembled. Her breath grew unevenly. How do I get out of here? Her mind screamed for an escape, but her legs felt frozen.

Then instinct took over.

She ran.

She pushed past them and started running blindly through the crowd

but the boys chased after her. The noise of the ghat blurred around her.

Her vision swam with fear. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she had to keep moving.

Suddenly, her foot struck a stone.

Pain shot through her ankle as it twisted sharply beneath her. She stumbled, losing balance, certain she was about to crash to the ground.

She braced herself for the fall.But instead, strong arms caught her mid-fall.Her eyes remained tightly shut, her body stiff with shock, her heart pounding wildly. She hadn’t fallen. She was… safe?

A soft, almost amused voice spoke above her.“What is this, madam?” he said lightly.“Why do you always end up falling into my arms? In the entire city of Banaras, am I the only one you ever find?”

That voice.

Her breath caught.

Slowly, fear gave way to disbelief.

Ishani opened her eyes.

And the moment she saw who was standing in front of her.

She froze.

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